[George]

Aloha all,

This is the second in a series of studies on "Rightly Dividing the Book of Acts":

When studying the Scriptures it is always necessary for us to rightly divide “the word of truth”. That means that we must always keep in mind the distinction that the Scriptures make between the JEW; the GENTILE; and the CHURCH {where there is neither Jew nor Greek (i.e. Gentile) – Galatians 3:28& Colossians 3:11}.

In addition we must always keep in mind that the Bible is not only a Book about “Doctrine” and about “Spiritual” matters, it is also a Book about “History”; and in order to arrive at the “Truth” of Scripture we must always take the “historical context” into consideration when “rightly dividing the word of truth”.

That simply means that we cannot “project” what we “know” NOW (as Christians) back into the “historical setting”. We must accept the written record WHERE, WHEN and HOW we find it, and not make it “say” or “mean” something other than what it says in the “historical context”.

As you read - Ask yourself: WHO is speaking? And to WHOM is he speaking to?

Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. {Only Jews}
2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; {Only Jews}
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. {Only Jews}
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. {Only Jews}
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. {Only Jews}
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazarethrise up and walk. {Only Jews}Do Christians refer to the Lord Jesus Christ as “Jesus Christ of Nazareth”? WHY NOT?
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength. {Only Jews}
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. {Only Jews}
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God: {Only Jews}
10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. {Only Jews}
11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering. {Only Jews}
12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? {Only Jews}
13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. {Only Jews}
14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; {Only Jews}
15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. {Only Jews}
16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. {Only Jews}
17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. {Only Jews}

{“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do . . . . .” [Luke 23:34]}

18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. {Only Jews}
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; {Only Jews}

In verse 19 the Apostle Peter calls for the nation of Israel (all of the Jews & their rulers) to “REPENT”? “REPENT” of WHAT?}

REPENT - of refusing to believe Christ (His words); REPENT: of refusing to receive Christ - as their Lord and King; REPENT: of delivering Him up; REPENT: of denying Him; and REPENT: of killing Him

20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: {Only Jews}

In verse 20 Peter clearly says that “he (God) shall send Jesus Christ”. Did the Lord Jesus Christ come back at that time? Of course not! Then - WHAT HAPPENED?

19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

Christ’s return was predicated upon the nation of Israel’s “repentance”. IF they “REPENT” – God will send Christ back. IF they refused to “REPENT” and be “converted”, then God had “another plan”:

Acts 28:25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, {Only Jews}
26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: {Only Jews}
27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. {Only Jews}
28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. {The “turning point” – God turns His back on Israel (because of their UNBELIEF) and turns to the Gentiles. This is WHY every where’s that the Apostle Paul went in his 3 missionary journeys – he always went to the JEWS “FIRST” and then to the Gentiles [Romans 1:16, 2:10]}

21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. {Only Jews}
22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. {Only Jews}
23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. {Only Jews}
24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. {Only Jews}
25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. {Only Jews}
26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. {Only Jews}

At this point in time (“historical context”) God has “set up” things so that (had the nation of Israel accepted Peter’s “message” – i.e. the “gospel of the kingdom”), God the Father could have “sent Jesus Christ” back. The Lord Jesus Christ could have returned then - at the end of the “Tribulation” (which could have occurred without there ever having been a “church”). That’s WHY the “church of God” was a “MYSTERY”. God had to make a bona fide offer to the nation of Israel (one last time) BEFORE He could legitimately “turn” to the Gentiles so that they (the nation of Israel would be WITHOUT EXCUSE!)

When studying the Bible we must – “rightly divide the word of truth”. If Christians do not “rightly divide”, they will seek to “HARMONIZE” the Holy Scriptures; they will have NO CHOICE.

For the most part – the “lost” IGNORE the Bible, but sincere Christians must “study to shew themselves approved unto God”, and so basically they have two choices (i.e. “methodologies”) - either they can try to “HARMONIZE’ the Scriptures (i.e. try to make everything fit into ONE MOLD); or they can “RIGHTLY DIVIDE” the Scriptures and try to determine WHERE God wants things to “FIT”.

The Holy Bible instructs us HOW we are to study; [2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.] so there should be no question as to which “methodology” is Scripturally sound and correct.